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Friday, 23 March 2018

Wolf women of House Stark

This post is for Rayne whose birthday it is on Sunday.

The women of House Stark of Winterfell are a wild lot of noble ladies with wolves in their blood. House Stark is based in the north of Westeros, and is part of the Seven Kingdoms. The Stark banner fatures a direwolf. Wolves have always been connected to the Starks, physically and spiritually. The huge castle of Winterfell is surrounded by two large walls, has its Winter Town, crypt and godswood. Winterfell is a stronghold capital in the north. Winterfell is set in the north-east of Westeros, near the Kingsroad. Outside of Winterfell is a forest called Wolfswood, northern mountains and a lake. Hot springs run beneath Winterfell that creates heat and warmth as the temperature is very cold outside in the north. The entrance to the crypt of Winterfell is guarded by stone wolves. It's where members of the Stark family are buried, and the crypts are vast. There are statues of the dead Starks with stone direwolves beside them. Of the present women of House Stark is Sansa and Arya, two sisters, daughters of the late Eddard Stark, lord of Winterfell.

Sansa Stark has been married twice. Her first husband was Tyrion Lannister, but the marriage failed and Tyrion left Westeros after accusations of murdering the late king Joffrey Baratheon. Her second husband was Ramsey Bolton, who is now deceased. Sansa is not a "fierce" woman but ladylike and has many feminine traits, similar to a Disney princess, but she is a Stark. She had a direwolf called Lady who was killed by Queen Cersei (the queen commanded the death of Sansa's direwolf even though it was Sansa's father who decided to do it instead of the royal executioner). Since Lady's death, Sansa has grieved the loss of her friend direwolf, but has often sensed her near in spirit. Sansa was initially a flower maiden who dreamed of knights and handsome princes but life changed her. Life had been cruel to her. Sansa is now the Lady of Winterfell and the direwolf banner is back flying on the castle. She's a survivor and a remarkable woman with courage and refinery.

Arya Stark is a younger sister of Sansa, daughter of Eddard Stark. She loved to fight, shoot arrows and play with swords. She has a more aggressive streak and a ferocious nature than her older sister. When her father died, she had no one to turn to but was cast into a place full of dangers, where she pretended to be a boy to survive. She made friends and learned how to fight properly. She willingly got trained. Her adventures are the most painful amongst the Starks. She had a direwolf called Nymeria, who is currently living in the forests of the Riverlands and in charge of her own pack. Arya is able to become Nymeria occasionally and has seen the floating remains of her dead mother Catelyn Stark through Nymeria. Arya is now at Winterfell with her family, sister Sansa and brother Bran.

Catelyn wasn't born a Stark but she became one after marrying Eddard Stark, and is mother to their five children, daughters Sansa and Arya, sons Robb, Bran and Rickon. This wolf mother was devoted to all of her children, and protective of them. However, she was cold and even fearful of Eddard's "bastard" son, Jon Snow (Snow is the surname given to northern children born outside of marriage because they can't have family names). Eddard told his wife Catelyn that Jon is his son from another woman he encountered during a war. Jon Snow is really Eddard's nephew but this is a well kept secret. Catelyn sensed something about Jon, but now it's probably because she felt betrayed by her husband and she is reminded of what he'd done. However, Catelyn was eager to protect Bran after his fall, and she took it upon herself to arrest Tyrion, accused of commanding an attack on Bran, then failing, and advising her son Robb after he became lord of Winterfell, then King of the North when Eddard died. Catelyn displays traits of a mother wolf and rejected the pup that wasn't her own.

Finally, on Jon's real mother, Lyanna Stark. Lyanna is the sister of Eddard Stark, who died before the other Stark children were born. She died giving birth to Jon Snow. Lyanna was a ferocious girl but had a soft side because she loved flowers as well as fighting. She stood up to her friends and was an excellent horse rider. She was rumoured to have been the mysterious Knight of the Laughing Tree, who was able to beat others at the Tourney of Harrenhal. She ended up being part of a romantic whirlwind with crown prince Rhaegar Targaryen. It's said that he fathered her baby son and that they might've married. Lyanna died in a bed of blood, is now buried in the Winterfell crypt and has a statue carved there of her image. She didn't own a direwolf but she was called the wolf maiden.
I dedicate this post to fans of the Starks as well as all those who love Game of Thrones, wolves and especially to the birthday girl Rayne.
Howls ^^